Generally, a construction machine such as a hydraulic excavator has a construction wherein it includes an upper revolving unit with an operator cab (cabin) provided on a lower traveling body having caterpillar members, and further, a joint type arm mechanism composed of a boom, a stick and a bucket is provided on the upper revolving unit.
Not only the bucket but also various attachment elements (which may hereinafter referred to merely as attachments) are attached to an end portion of the stick in accordance with a working application of the construction machine.
FIGS. 6(a) and 6(b) are schematic views of different attachments, respectively. The attachment shown in FIG. 6(a) is a bucket used principally for excavation, and the attachment shown in FIG. 6(b) is a shear. The shear can perform a movement of grasping an object and a rotational operation, and, for example, can grasp and rotate a steel frame or the like and shear the steel frame. Also a hammer (not shown) or the like can be attached, and the attachment to be attached to the stick can be replaced selectively from among various attachments in accordance with a working application.
FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of functional blocks of an electronic control apparatus. The electronic control apparatus (controller) 50 shown in FIG. 7 is a control apparatus for operating movements of a hydraulic excavator and an attachment and includes a machine body control means 50a. The machine body control means 50a is connected to attachment switches 6a, 6b, an operation lever (joystick) 6, pedals 9a, 9b, an ON/OFF valve 13, a solenoid proportional valve 3 and so forth.
The attachment switches 6a, 6b are switches for starting/stopping the attachment, respectively, and the operation lever 6 is provided to operate the machine body. In addition, the pedals 9a, 9b are provided to move the machine body forwardly/backwardly to the left side and called modulation pedals or attachment input modulation pedals. The position of the operation lever 6 and the positions of the pedals 9a, 9b adjusted by the operator (which may be hereinafter referred to as operating person) are read in by the electronic control apparatus 50.
The ON/OFF valve 13 is a main control valve and controls movement of actuators (hydraulic cylinders). The solenoid proportional valve 3 uses hydraulic pressure to control the spool position of the ON/OFF valve 13.
Thus, control of the attachment (hammer, shear or the like) of the conventional hydraulic excavator is performed through the ON/OFF switch provided at an upper portion of the operation lever 6 or the pedals 9a, 9b. 
FIG. 8 is a schematic view of the operation lever 6, and the operation lever 6 is tilted in the forward, backward, leftward or rightward direction by operation of the operator. If the operator tilts the operation lever 6, then the tilted position of the operation lever 6 is read in by the machine body control means 50a (refer to FIG. 7) and the solenoid proportional valve 3 is adjusted.
The attachment switch (for starting) 6a and the attachment switch (for stopping) 6b are provided at an upper portion of the operation lever 6 shown in FIG. 8. If the operator depresses the attachment switch 6a, then the machine body control means 50a adjusts the ON/OFF valve 13 to start movement of the attachment. Similarly, if the operator depresses the attachment switch 6b, then the movement of the attachment is stopped.
FIG. 9 is a schematic view of the pedal 9a (or pedal 9b). If the operator operates the pedal 9a, then the direction of movement of the pedal 9a is adjusted, and consequently, operation of the attachment is performed.
The prior art, however, has a subject to be solved in that it imposes a very heavy burden on the operator for the operator to operate the attachment while such operations as operations of the boom, stick, bucket and upper revolving unit for pivoting and revolving movements are performed.
The present invention has been made in view of such a subject as described above, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a voice attachment control apparatus and a voice attachment control method for a construction machine such as a hydraulic excavator which uses, in order to control an interlocking movement by a plurality of actuators, voice to control an attachment in starting, stopping and speed adjustment to improve the safety of the working person.